The Murder of Frank Roberts
by SilverMoonlight00
Summary: Elizabeth West, a recently engaged woman has just found out her fiance has been murdered. Going to the best detectives around, she invites them to investigate and they find out something darker lies in the case.


**Hey guys, so I'm not dead if anyone was wondering! My life has literally been a roller coaster of events. I'm getting ready to apply to college, my senior year is going on track as I planned and things seem good. Right now I'm struggling with some...personal issues, so I haven't done much as the school year takes up a lot of my time as does college planning.**

 **However, I am working to do my best. For those of you following my Miraculous Ladybug One Shot collection, I will still be posting, but I'm working on the chapters. Till then, I have a short story I wrote for my Mystery Story class last year. This story ended up being twelve pages on a word document and it was written in ONE night!**

 **Alright, enough about it. Here it is, it's really long, but I hope you all enjoy it while I work on my one shots.**

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The wind was howling in the cool air of the night, whipping against the windows of Apartment 32. Outside the sky was dark, thick clouds covered the moon creating a thin veil of light that shined down upon the city and barely illuminated the streets. Rosewood Drive was quiet, there wasn't a single light on except for the apartment of Detective James Tiler. He was a quiet man, tall with black hair and brown eyes known to wear nothing but button up shirts and slacks. He lived on his own, the only companion he ever had was his sidekick Earl Evergreen who lived in the apartment next to his. Earl was shorter than James with rust colored hair and hazel eyes.

"Well, it looks like a quiet night, eh?" Earl leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs in a relaxed manner.

"Well, after last week's fiasco with the missing Emerald Diamond things have seemed to slow down considerably," he said, putting a cigarette between his lips. He took a long draw of it and blew out a ring of grey smoke.

All was quiet and it seemed as if it were going to be just a normal night for the two partners in crime. That was until the door was thrown open and a frantic looking woman was standing there, drenched from the heavy rain that had started to fall. She had an expression of shock and horror frozen to her face as she looked to the two men.

James shot to his feet and hurried to help the woman sit. He stepped back and examined her, taking in her details. Fairly tall with a thin face, framed with golden locks and her eyes, her blue eyes wide with fear. She wore a royal blue dress with a silver band around the waist that was creating a puddle on the ground from the rain that had doused her.

"You come from a wealthy family, oldest daughter, engaged" James started to list off the things he knew so far.

Her gaze turned up to meet his. "Yes, how did you know?

He smiled just slightly, taking a puff of the cigarette. "Your dress is very nice, made from a material only those who have wealth can afford and it fits quite nice. It's not loose so it's not from an older sibling and it's not tight so it's not from a younger sibling, it fits you just so," he started to pace the floor as he spoke. "The locket around your neck suggests that someone close gave it to you, quite possibly a boyfriend, but the ring on your finger says fiancé."

"But my question still stands," he stumped out the cigar and threw it into the ash tray.

"What question?"

He turned to her, hands behind his back with a professional gaze. "Why did you come? No one would be crazy enough to go out in this storm, especially not in the dead of night and with such rain coming down."

"My name is Elizabeth West, I have come from Linkdenburg and I have just found out that my fiancé has been murdered."

James stared at her for a few seconds, studying her facial features as she said her fiancé had been murdered. He grunted and then turned his back to her. "What's the story? Don't leave out details."

Elizabeth inhaled sharply before beginning her tale. "Frank Roberts, he was a good man, quite the charmer, but had fallen in love with a rich man's daughter. Of course, that wasn't to say there were a few hiccups in the road. My father disliked him as did my sister Mary, but that didn't draw him away from me any. We had a good life, just a few days ago he had gotten a letter, when I asked what it was he said nothing and put it in his desk drawer, the one that locks."

"Did your father or sister ever say anything about him to you? Their distaste for the young man?" he asked casually.

"Yes, many times they mentioned how I could have done better and that he was only going to be a burden," she answered.

James stared at the wall in concentration. He moved to sit in the chair that was positioned opposite where Elizabeth sat, legs crossed and fingers locked together. "Interesting…anything else?"

"The day he was murdered, that morning he went for a walk down the trail in the back of the house like he always did, but this time he never came back. My sister came to find me, told me he was dead, I went to go find him, I had to see for myself...gun shot through the head," tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.

"Can you think of anything else?"

"No, that's all I can recall detective."

James looked to Earl who stood and escorted the young lady out of the apartment. He gave her an umbrella and wished her a goodnight before heading back up to the apartment complex.

"Well?" Earl looked to his partner expectantly.

"Did you see it Evergreen? The way she looked?" he said casually, concentrating on the white walls.

Earl raised a brow questioningly. "You mean the shock and fright?"

"No, it was something else."

"What are we to do then?" his assistant asked.

"We investigate of course. Now, get some rest Earl, we will be visiting Linkdenburg tomorrow morning." He said, ushering the man out the door.

At nine o'clock sharp the next morning James and Earl were on their way to Linkdenburg, a city just a few miles down the road. It was a busy place, people rushing everywhere, going in and out of stores every second. They passed by tall buildings and popular shops before getting to the mansion. To say it was large was an understatement, for a mansion it was on the smaller side.

James got out of the car and looked around the area, it was quiet and there were no signs of anyone else around. He started up the stairs leading into the house, Earl following close behind. The detective examined the white marble pillars and the brass door knocker before banging it a few times.

The door opened and none other than the head of the house stood before them. He was a tall man with a thick moustache and thinning hair, his gaze was cold and stone hard, but his suit gave off the impression that he was a gentleman with high standards.

"Hello, yes, we would like to look around your house and ask you a few questions," James said casually, peeking around the man to get a glimpse inside.

He stepped into his view, grunting in dissatisfaction. "And I would like it if you left, I don't need random people looking around my personal stuff."

"I asked them to help, to find out who murdered my fiancé. Let them in, they won't be trouble," Elizabeth said as she came down the stairs to greet the two.

"Very well, but only for an hour," he said sternly, looking down at the detective.

"That's all we'll need, thank you sir," James entered the home and looked around, quickly examining the room. "Where is the drawer in which he kept the letter?" he asked.

"Right this way," Elizabeth took them down the hall and to the office room where Frank would work sometimes. His name was on the door on a plaque from his office, the words _Accountant_ written under his name.

"He organized your bills and finances?" Earl asked, looking through some of the papers.

"Yes, we paid him for it too. He offered to do it for free, but my mother wouldn't allow it," she informed them.

James made his way to the desk which was cluttered with papers. He pulled at each drawer, all of them opening with ease until he went to pull on the drawer farthest to the right. It wouldn't budge, no matter how many times he tried, the drawer was shut. Pulling a pin from his coat pocket he started to pick at the lock until he heard a satisfying click from the tumblers.

"That's it, the one right on top," she said, pointing to the white envelop with the wax seal.

James examined the letter, he held it up the lights and tried to read what was inside of it. Carefully he tore it open and unfolded the paper inside.

"Well?" Elizabeth looked at him intrigued.

"Nothing of which you need to worry about, just an old bill," he said, sticking it into his coat pocket. "Now, where is your father? I'd like to ask him a few questions."

"He's in the family room, I'll bring you to him," she left the office room and led them the way they had come, past the main entrance and down another hall.

Earl leaned toward his partner. "What was the letter and why didn't you tell her what it was?" he whispered.

"It's a love letter to Frank from another woman in Yubai, the town just up the road," James answered back in a low whisper.

"He didn't want Elizabeth to find out about the letter, that's why he put it in the locked drawer," Earl concluded, piecing it together slowly.

Elizabeth held out her hand for the two to wait a few moments. When she came back she let them into the room and left down the hall.

"Nice to meet you sir, mind if we ask you a few questions," James took a seat across from him. Earl stood, notepad and pen in hand.

"First, what's your name? Just for record," he said, not giving him time to answer the previous question.

"Richard West. And I suppose you're thinking I'm a suspect in the murder, don't you? Because I didn't like that Frank man," he scoffed.

"So you didn't like him? Why not?" James asked, leaning back in the seat. He took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one.

"He was all wrong for my daughter, I imagined her being with someone of more class and higher in the social status, not some whack guy like him. I thought she could do better, be with someone who was going to give her the life she deserved," he answered.

"I see and have you done anything about this issue you're posing?" James questioned.

"I've had her meet with other guys, tried to push her away from Frank, but it only seemed to bring them together if you can believe it," he snorted rather unsatisfied.

Earl stopped writing for a moment to pose a question. "Have you ever," he paused, licking his lips. "Have you ever thought about maybe, sending him off somehow, you know, so Elizabeth would have someone else in her life. Just a thought."

Richard visibly tensed, beads of sweat started to form on his forehead as he clenched his fists. "If you're asking if I was the the one to have murdered Frank, I did no such thing and I would appreciate it if you left," he said, inhaling sharply.

Earl was about to speak once more, but James stopped him. "Well ,we do thank you for your time, we'll be off now," he stood and burnt out the cigarette in the ashtray before ushering his sidekick out of the room.

"He has the motive, didn't want his daughter to marry Frank, tried to get other men to court her," Earl said as they walked down the hall.

"It's interesting isn't it Evergreen?"

The two investigators took off down the halls and went to the back garden where Elizabeth's sister, Mary, was at. They found her sitting on a bench by the rose garden dressed in a white sundress with a parasol to shade her from the sun.

"Such a lovely day to sit outside and watch the roses, don't you think?" James said as he approached, taking the empty space beside her.

Mary jumped slightly when she heard his voice, but relaxed once she saw it was the detective. "My sister said you were coming, she said you were going to question me about the murder."

"Your sister had mentioned you didn't approve of Frank and her marrying, is that right?" James started.

"Yes, that's true. I didn't believe that she should have been marrying a man she barely knew, they had only known one another about a year, but he was a charmer."

James studied her, noticing her tone of voice changing as she spoke more about Frank. His eyes fell upon the gold locket hanging around her neck. "Where did you get your necklace?" he asked.

"It was a gift, that's all," she stuck the locket down the neck of her dress. "Any other questions?"

James stood and offered a hand. "No, that will be all. Thank you for your time."

Mary shook his hand. He turned to Earl who was tucking his note pad away before the two headed out.

"Didn't…" Earl glanced back at Mary then at his partner. "Didn't we see that locket before?"

"Yes, when Elizabeth came to our apartment, same locket."

"Maybe they're connected somehow, I mean, it might just be a sibling thing, but I'm sure there's something about those lockets that doesn't sit right with me."

"Ah, now you're thinking like a true detective," he led him back into the house and on the way out he spotted the maid who was cleaning the floors.

"Excuse me, but can we ask you a question?"

The maid set the mop against the wall and looked up at them. "Yes, of course."

"What can you recall the morning of Frank Robert's death?"

" was in the dining room eating his breakfast, Ms. Emily was out back talking to when Ms. Elizabeth came out and they were quite loud. Yelling to one another it seemed, then Ms. Elizabeth came back inside and Ms. Emily went out for a walk with Mr. Frank."

James put a hand on his chin in thought while Earl wrote down everything she was saying. "Thank you for the information," he turned to his partner. "Come Evergreen, back to the apartment."

On the way out of the house Elizabeth came over to them from the little path that led to the back of the house. "Well?"

"We don't know anything for sure, but we will know by tomorrow afternoon. We shall be back around one and by then you will know who had murdered your fiancé," he promised.

Elizabeth thanked him and watched them get into their car and drive away. Four hours later they returned to the apartment, having stopped in Yubai to speak to the woman who had written the letter to Frank, the one he had hidden in the locked drawer. She had said she knew Frank for some time, they had dated and he had mentioned Elizabeth a few times in his letters. The letters were sent the same time he and Elizabeth were dating and once he had mentioned Mary in a more recent letter. By the time they got back to the apartment it was almost night.

"What are your thoughts? Do you really know who murdered her fiancé?" Earl questioned as he sat in one of the arm chairs.

James lit a cigarette and placed it between his lips, taking a puff. "Think about it Evergreen. The evidence lines up, it all makes sense once you put the clues together."

"Clues? I know it was strange she had come during such weather yesterday and the lockets she and her sister had were a bit odd as were the love letters written by the woman in Yubai. The maid having seen the argument that morning and Mary having gone on that walk with Frank, but I still don't quite get it."

James chuckled to himself. "You'll see tomorrow...get some rest."

Earl stood and headed to his apartment complex next door leaving James to his thoughts. He stayed up a few hours more before burning out the cigarette and turning the light off.

The next day, at one o'clock sharp, James and Earl returned to the West property. Behind them was a cop, he was a well known figure to James who had assisted him on a few occasions before. They got out of the cars, headed inside and down the halls to the family room where Richard, his wife Eveline, Mary and Elizabeth were seated.

"Well, you came back in a rush didn't you?" Richard lowered his newspaper and folded it in his lap. "So, who murdered Frank detective?" he asked in a mocking tone.

"Why, it's so simple. You did," he said. The cop walked over to the man and got him to his feet, closing the cuffs around his wrists.

"Me? I did no such thing, I may not have wanted my daughter to marry a man like that, but I'm not a killer."

James looked at him with a stern gaze, then at the two girls. "Unless you have someone to testify for you, say you're innocent. Maybe someone else has information they'd like to say, something that they haven't confessed yet," silence hung in the air like a thick fog. "Nothing? How splendid, our work is done then."

"Wait," Elizabeth said suddenly.

"Did you have something you wanted to add Elizabeth? Something to confess?"

"No, I just don't want my father taken away from us, he means everything to the family."

James studied her as she spoke. "Are you sure you didn't want to say something else? A confession perhaps?"

Elizabeth looked worried, she folded her hands over one another nervously.

"Perhaps you want to say you murdered him? The fact you two have the lockets isn't a coincidence, or the love letters you found, maybe it was the fact you knew all this and yet you let it happen and then, your sister got involved and it just got worse and worse and worse…"

"Yes, yes, I did it!" she cried, all the guilt she had rising up and coming out at once. "I didn't mean to, I really did love him, but all his lies and all of the cheating and then he and my sister and…" tears flowed out of her eyes as the cop slapped the cuffs around her wrists. "But I didn't mean it, I didn't. I was aiming for you!" she turned her gaze to Mary. "But he got in the way and that's when it happened."

James motioned for the cop to take her away. "Our work is done," he turned and left the mansion with Earl following right behind as always. They got into the car and drove away just before the police car left, leaving behind a broken family.

"How did you know it was her? I mean, what was it that led you to this?"

"It's simple," he started to explain. "When she came in that night it was quite unusual, normally someone would come when the weather was nicer. She said it was murder, no one would have known that given she had first said her sister informed her of the death therefore she wouldn't have known it was murder if she hadn't been there herself and as she spoke about it her expression never changed."

"But the tears,"

"Fake, she was using them for show. The letters from the other woman were give aways that he was having other affairs during the time they were dating and his sister was nervous when she spoke about the locket which they both had on, exactly the same too which means he gave them the same jewelry. Probably gave the same thing to all his girlfriends judging by the fact that woman in Yubai also had the same locket. When we spoke to the maid she said she had seen the argue, Elizabeth probably found out Mary and Frank were having a relationship as well and got angry because it got personal. They left on the trail walk and she followed, planning to get her sister but instead got Frank because he jumped in the way of the bullet killing him."

"But why would she come to us knowing she had done it? I mean, she knew we would find out, so why even ask?"

James pressed his lips together in a thin line. "It was the guilt weighing on her, she knew the consequences yet she did it anyway because she had to get it off her chest, tell someone even if it wasn't directly and that she knew she was going to get caught."

"Wow, what a crazy thing," Earl said.

"Yes, indeed it is Evergreen, indeed it is."

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 **I hope you all enjoyed the story! I know it was really, really, really long, but I decided it would be a good filler while I work on other stories and getting my life together.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

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